What do you know about those soft drinks that you gulp down?

I was with all my friends recently and while were in conversation with each other I realised that my friends’ eating and drinking habits. Their eating habits were erratic and more over they were all addicted to aerated drinks or what is commonly called as ‘Soft Drinks’

While they were not bothered to know about what an aerated drink can possibly do to their health most were under the impression that it’s good for health or rather nothing can happen to one health if one happens to drink aerated drinks. When I realised this I told them how soft drinks aren’t good for health. And that was it.. in the next few minutes I was flooded with questions like why one should not have aerated drinks? What does it contain etc etc

I explained to them that soft drinks are carbonated drinks made of water, sugar or artificial sweetner, flavors etc. Technically carbon dioxide is dissolved into the water at low temperatures under high pressures and a carbonation machines are used for that to make it fizzy. Also phosphoric acid, lead acetate, methyle benzene, potassium solvent, sodium benzoate are all present and if you read the label on the bottles you will find all these names.

Reasons why we shouldn’t be drinking Aerated rinks are:

Phosphoric acid present in drinks damages bones and enamel of tooth.

Lead acetate damages kidneys and nerves

It contains aspartame (an artificial low-calorie sweetener) that makes you feel hungry and craving for food. That may lead to adding up loads of calories and ultimately weight gain.

Some people who are addicted to soft drinks are deprive of nutrients and that could lead to malnutrition.

It has zero nutrients so no nutritive value.

It dehydrates the body.

According to research it’s Ph is 3.4 (that’s acidic)…but is acceptable to human system as its below Ph 7. It can create hyperacidity.

If consumed along with meals the nutrients in the food will not be absorbed.

But most are habituated to drinking soft drinks and as they say Old Habits die hard. So if you are an addict here is what you need to know. Aerated drinks have an effect on oral hygiene. If you so need to have a soft drink then use a straw to reduce direct contact with teeth. And secondly, rinse your mouth with water after drinking soft drink.

In a recent article in Huffington Post, an online news website from the US talking about what happens one hour after you drink an aerated drink was insightful and shocking of course at the same time. The article was a graphically presented and it said that after 60 minutes of consuming an aerated drink the first thing that happens is that you will start having a sugar rush. You can also become irritable and sluggish.

There is nothing good about aerated drinks and particularly ‘DIET’ aerated drinks. These are misinterpreted to be healthy (because it is labelled as DIET which is misleading)…to make it sweet they add not sugar but artificial sweetener and it is carbonated and that still dehydrates your body. So definitely it is not a source of water. Also artificial sweeteners are a chemical which may lead to cancer if consumed in excess.

It is always better to switch over to healthy options like coconut water, lime juices, lime water, buttermilk or fruit juices instead of aerated drinks however tempted you are try and avoid it …it is only better for your future health.

About Neha Morche

A post graduate in Nutrition and Dietetics, Neha Morche believes in inculcating good habits, lifestyle modifications and being active. According to her these will always take precedence over medicines like it did in ancient days. As a nutritionist, Neha counsels people for therapeutic diets and helps them understand the benefits of these diets for their physical and psychological well-being. In her previous avatar as a dietician her job was to only make diet plans according to the individuals’ daily routine. In most cases she realised people could never maintain their diet regime. Also, people would seldom acknowledge their weak points or improve habits and implement them in their daily routines. GOQii, in that sense is different as we will work towards changing people’s habits in a positive manner and motivate them to lead a healthy lifestyle. In her free time she loves to listen to music. When she wants to get into her meditative mood she likes to go trekking. She has done treks in the Sahayadri ranges of Maharashtra and Himalayas and aims to do Mount Everest. She says that treating food as a medicine will help us to maintain overall health and help enjoy life to the fullest. Finally, Neha’s fitness regime is to stay positive and respect your body and make life simpler.

Comments

Thank u for sharing such a wonderful information, it was brilliantly explained in detail, previously everyone said it’s not good for health then 10 years before it’s self, I stopped drinking. But due to incomplete information, I always use to have when sometimes people around me, friends, relatives, or group of people force me to have them just to give them company as everybody is having & not to show off to be different among them….at that moment, I was unable to explain them what exactly effects & why am trying to avoid soft drinks. Now I will not just explain instead I will show them this article…if possible, I will not let them to use it..

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